Small ruminant production in tropical Africa

Tropical Africa contains almost one tenth of the world's sheep and over a quarter of its goats. Small ruminant production throughout this area takes place entirely under traditional systems, and since the meat produced is mostly for home consumption, a great deal of it escapes official marketing channels. As a result there is an undeniable lack of knowledge as to the part played by sheep and goat production, coupled with the belief that these animals are to blame for the decline of the environment. Consequently, despite its sizeable contribution to meat supplies for local populations, this subsector has been continually omitted from development projects and policies.